Carpet roll carrier attachment

ABSTRACT

A device for use in attaching a carpet rod to a transport vehicle having forks, characterized by the use of a frame which has socket means into which the forks of the transport vehicle can be horizontally positioned so that the device can be supported by and retained on the forks of the transport vehicle while the carpet rod is inserted into the center of a carpet roll and used to lift and transport the carpet roll.

O Unlted States Patent 1 ,658 Harris [451 Dec. 12, 1972 1 CARPET ROLLCARRIER 2,941,683 6/1960 Fowler ..2l4/620 ATTACHMENT 2,773,615 12/ 1956Conway ..214/620 [72] Inventor: H h A. H m 30 Citation DL, 3,007,59211/196] Adams ..2l4/620 Dams 75229 3,176,866 4/1965 Metster,Jr.................214/620 1, 6 ,562 719 2 Ch bb t l. ..214 DIG.1 221Filed: Dec. 29, 1970 8 8 I 3 u e a I [21] Appl. No.: 102,423 PrimaryExaminer-Robert J. Spar Attorney-John F. Booth and Kenneth R. Glaser[52] US. Cl ..2l4/620 214/D1G. 3 511 Int. Cl. "inseam/12 [571 STRACTField 130 C, [310- I, A device for use in attaching a carpet rod to atransl 3. 6- 4 port vehicle having forks, characterized by the use of aframe which has socket means into which the forks [56] Retermces cued ofthe transport vehicle can be horizontally positioned UNITED STATESPATENTS so that the device can be supported hy and retained on the forksof the transport vehicle while the carpet 3,050,206 8/1962 McCracken..214/620 rod is inserted into the center f a carpet to and used2,841,300 7/1958 Berqutst ..2l4/DIG. l to 1m and transport the cal-pet n3,387,728 6/1968 Bick et a1 ..214/62O 2,846,102 8/1958 Connor ..214/620X 1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED 1 2 I97? 3., 705 6 58 SHEET 1 OF 2INVENTOR HUGH A. HARRIS gwzwjfay ATTORNEY PITENTEDuzm m2 3.705.658

sum 2 or 2 26 FIG. 2

NVEN g --4 22 if? HUGH A. HARRIS ATTORNEY CARPET ROLL CARRIER ATTACHMENTBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to attachmentsfor use with transport vehicles, and more particularly to an attachmentdevice which may be removably attached to the forks of a transportvehicle so that the forks of the vehicle may be utilized without theattachment device thereon.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART In the handling of large cylindrical rollsof carpet and other material, it has been a common practice to utilize aspecial attachment to transport vehicles which is in the form of a longhorizontal carpet rod or shaft which can be inserted through the centerof the roll so that the roll may be lifted and moved from the end. Thiselongated carpet rod presents substantial advantages in that it allowsthe carpet rolls to be easily moved into and out of narrow spaces suchas truck beds where insufficient space is available to approach thecarpet roll with a transport vehicle from the side. Although suchdevices have served the purpose, they have not proved entirelysatisfactory under all conditions of service because of the inability ofa transport vehicle to utilize its forks to lift pallets or carpets fromthe side when the carpet rod device is attached thereto. To solve thisproblem, the operator of the transport vehicle was forced to dismountand manually remove the carpet rod device to utilize the forks of thetransport vehicle and to then manually reattach the device when it wasrequired to move a carpet roll from the end.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The general purpose of this invention is toprovide a carpet rod attachment device which can be quickly and easilyattached to and detached from the forks of a transport vehicle withoutrequiring manual operations and without the operator having to dismountthe vehicle.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is theprovision of an attachment device which can be quickly and easilyattached to the forks of a transport vehicle.

Another object is to provides an attachment device which is simple andinexpensive to manufacture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and many attendantadvantages of the invention will be readily appreciated as the samebecome better understood by reference to the following detaileddescription when considered in connection with the accompanying drawingswhich illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the attachment device showingits attachment to the front of a conventional fork truck;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side elevation view of the attachment device incombination with a conventional fork;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the attachment device shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view taken in the direction of the arrows 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial section of the device taken on line 55 ofFIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a view taken in the direction of the arrows 6-6 in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings,wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding partsthroughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 an embodiment ofthe attachment device 10 of the present invention attached to the forks12 of a transport vehicle 14 (shown in phantom lines). This attachmentdevice 10 has a body portion 16 with a carpet rod 18 extendinghorizontally therefrom. As can be seen, this rod 18 can be inserted intothe center of a carpet roll 20 (shown in phantom lines), so that theroll 20 may be lifted and moved by the transport vehicle.

Referring now to the remaining figures, the detailed construction of theattachment device 10 can be seen as having front and rear end pieces 22and 24, respectively. In the present invention, these two end pieces areconstructed from material having a channel shaped cross section withtheir concave portions facing each other, and are attached to andrigidly held in parallel spaced relationship by two side members, 26 and28. These two side members are made from material with a channel shapedcross section having their concave portions directed downward and arepositioned in parallel arrangement and separated a sufficient distanceso that the forks of the transport vehicle may be inserted through tworectangular openings 27 provided in the rear end pieces 24 andthereafter into the concave portions of the side members, 26 and 28. Aplurality of strap members 29 are attached across the bottom of theconcave portion of the channel members, 26 and 28, as shown in FIG. 5.

A tube 30 is centrally positioned between the two side members, 26 and28, and is attached by suitable means such as welding to the end pieces22 and 24. Referring now to FIG. 6, an opening 32 is provided in thefront end piece 22 in alignment with the hollow center of the tube 30.This tube 30 is of such a size as to allow the carpet rod 18 to beaxially moved into the hollow center portion thereof and is held inplace by a nut and bolt assembly 34 which is positioned through alignedradial bores (not shown) in the carpet rod 18 and tube 30. By attachingthe rod 18 to the body in this manner, carpet rods of differing lengthsmay be used with the same assembly. It is also contemplated that thecarpet rod 18 could have a threaded portion on the end thereof to allowthe attachment of extensions thereon to extend the length of the carpetrod 18 for use with carpet rolls of longer length.

OPERATION OF THE DEVICE By referring to FIG. 2, the operation of theattachment device 10 can be explained. As shown, when the carpet device10 is not in use, it can be stored on a horizontal surface such as thefloor. To attach the device 10 to a transport vehicle 14, the forks 12are initially horizontally positioned in alignment with the openings 27.The vehicle is then moved forward so that the forks 12 are insertedthrough the openings 27 and into the concave portion of the side members26 and 28 until the rear end piece 24 abuts the vertical portion 36 ofthe forks 12, or the end of the forks 12 contact the front end piece 22.With the forks 12 so positioned in the concave portions of the sidemembers 26 and 28, the attachment device can then be lifted by raisingthe forks 12, the strap members 28 holding the fork in the concaveportions.

Turning now to H6. 1, it can be seen that once the device 10 is attachedto the transport vehicle 14, the carpet rod 18 can be verticallypositioned by the transport vehicle and inserted in the center of acarpet roll 20 so that the roll 20 may then be lifted and transported asrequired.

To remove the attachment device 10 from the vehicle 14, the abovedescribed process is reversed by lowering the device 10 to a horizontalsurface and backing the vehicle 14 away to remove the forks 12 from theconcave portions of the side members 26 and 28 and thus allowing theforks to be utilized without the attachment device thereon.

It can be seen from the above that the device may be easily and quicklyattached to and detached from a vehicle without the operator leaving thevehicle. it should be understood, of course, that the foregoingdisclosure relates to only a preferred embodiment of the invention andthat numerous modifications or alterations may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A hollow centered cylindrical roll loading, transporting, andunloading device for removably attaching to a transport vehicle havingvertical movable forks so that the said device is carried by and movedwith said forks, comprising:

a body of rigid material comprising: two plates positioned in spacedparallel relationship, two channel members having concave portions withtheir ends attached to said plates to form a rigid structure, saidchannel members being positioned in space parallel in relationship andof such a size as to allow insertion of said forks into said concaveportion of said channel members, one of said plates having openingstherethrough aligned with the concave portions of said channel membersand being of a size to allow insertion of said forks therethrough, tubemeans attached to and extending between said plates, said other platehaving a circular opening axially aligned with the hollow center saidtube means, and strap means fixed across said concave portions of saidchannel members for retaining said forks therein,

rod means of rigid material positioned with one end axially insertedthrough said circular openings in said other plate and axially into saidtubing, the other end of said rod means extending from said circularopening a sufiicient distance to allow the insertion of said other endinto the hollow center of said roll so that said roll can be lifted andtransported by said vehicle,

means for removably retaining said rod in said tube, comprising, saidrod and said tube having axially aligned bores therethrough atsubstantially right angles to their axis and fastener means mounted insaid bores so that said rod will be prevented from axially sliding insaigi tu be.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,705,658 Dated December 12, 1972 lnv t Hugh A. ilarris It is certifiedthat error appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 3, Line 34, "vertical" should read -vertically-;

Line 14,

Line 17,

Line 21,

Line 22,

Line 31,

Claim 1:

Column 4, before "tube" insert --hollow--; Column 4, after "center"insert --of--; Column 4, "openings" should. read --opening--;

Column 4, "tubing" should read --tube means;

Column 4, "axis" should read -axes.

Signed and sealed this 23rd day of April 1971 (SEAL) Attest:

EDl/JARD M .FLE TCIIRR JR. Attesting Officer C. l-lAllSl-IALL DAILICommissioner of Patents

1. A hollow centered cylindrical roll loading, transporting, andunloading device for removably attaching to a transport vehicle havingvertical movable forks so that the said device is carried by and movedwith said forks, comprising: a body of rigid material comprising: twoplates positioned in spaced parallel relationship, two channel membershaving concave portions with their ends attached to said plates to forma rigid structure, said channel members being positioned in spaceparallel in relationship and of such a size as to allow insertion ofsaid forks into said concave portion of said channel members, one ofsaid plates having openings therethrough aligned with the concaveportions of said channel members and being of a size to allow insertionof said forks therethrough, tube means attached to and extending betweensaid plates, said other plate having a circular opening axially alignedwith the hollow center said tube means, and strap means fixed acrosssaid concave portions of said channel members for retaining said forkstherein, rod means of rigid material positioned with one end axiallyinserted through said circular openings in said other plate and axiallyinto said tubing, the other end of said rod means extending from saidcircular opening a sufficient distance to allow the insertion of saidother end into the hollow center of said roll so that said roll can belifted and transported by said vehicle, means for removably retainingsaid rod in said tube, comprising, said rod and said tube having axiallyaligned bores therethrough at substantially right angles to their axisand fastener means mounted in said bores so that said rod will beprevented from axially sliding in said tube.